WASHINGTON, DC — January 13, 2022 — With COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations reaching a new record high as a result of the Omicron variant, the Supreme Court today put the Biden Administration’s vaccine-or-test mandate for large employers on hold, while litigation over its legality continues in the lower courts. Over a dissent from the court’s three liberal justices, the court …
By Amy Howe
Justices Add New Cases on Bankruptcy, Workers’ Comp, and Relief From Final Judgments
By Amy Howe
WASHINGTON, DC — January 10, 2022 — The Supreme Court on Monday morning added three new cases — involving bankruptcy law, civil procedure, and workers’ compensation — to its docket for the 2021-22 term. But the orders that the justices issued from their private conference on Jan. 7 were just as noteworthy for what they did not do: The court …
By Amy Howe
Court Seems Poised to Block Vaccine-or-Test Policy for Workplaces But May Allow Vaccine Mandate for Health Care Workers
By Amy Howe
WASHINGTON, D.C. — January 9, 2022 — The Supreme Court heard oral argument on Friday in two sets of challenges to the Biden administration’s authority to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. For over two hours of debate, the justices were skeptical of the administration’s attempt to impose a vaccine-or-test mandate for workers at large employers. In the second case, which lasted for …
By Amy Howe
Justices Will Hear Arguments on January 7th in Challenges to Biden Vaccine Policies
By Amy Howe
WASHINGTON, DC — December 23, 2021 — With COVID-19 cases surging across the country, the Supreme Court fast-tracked two disputes over the Biden administration’s efforts to expand vaccinations. In an unusual move, the justices announced on Wednesday night that they will hear oral arguments on Jan. 7 on two federal policies: a vaccine-or-test mandate for workers at large employers, and …
By Amy Howe
Majority of Court Appears Poised to Roll Back Abortion Rights
By Amy Howe
WASHINGTON, DC — December 5, 2021 — It has been nearly 30 years since the Supreme Court’s decision in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, which reaffirmed the constitutional right to abortion that the court first recognized in Roe v. Wade. Only one justice who participated in Casey is still on the court now: Clarence Thomas, who joined a dissent in Casey …
By Amy Howe
Court Seems Inclined to Let Abortion Providers Pursue Their Challenge to Texas Law
By Amy Howe
WASHINGTON, DC — November 1, 2021 — The Supreme Court heard oral argument on Monday in two challenges to S.B. 8, the Texas law that bans almost all abortions in the state. After nearly three hours of argument by four different lawyers, the justices appeared likely to allow the case brought by a group of Texas abortion providers to go forward, …
By Amy Howe
Justices Appear to Favor Reinstating Death Penalty for Boston Marathon Bomber
By Amy Howe
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Supreme Court heard oral argument on Wednesday in the case of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who was convicted for his role in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, which killed three people and badly injured hundreds more. A jury sentenced Tsarnaev to death, but a federal appeals court threw out Tsarnaev’s death sentences last year. That prompted the federal …
By Amy Howe
Justices Will Consider Whether Details on Post-9/11 CIA Black Sites are State Secrets
By Amy Howe
WASHINGTON, DC — October 7, 2021 — It has been just over 20 years since the Sept. 11 attacks killed nearly 3,000 people in the worst terrorist attack in modern history. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court will hear oral argument in yet another legal battle arising from the government’s response to the attacks – specifically, the government’s efforts to block …
By Amy Howe
Major Abortion Case Set for Argument on December 1st
By Amy Howe
WASHINGTON, DC — September 23, 2021 — The Supreme Court announced on Monday, September 20th that it will hear argument on December 1st in a challenge to a Mississippi law that bans almost all abortions after the 15th week of pregnancy. The case, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, was already positioned to be one of the highest-profile arguments of …
By Amy Howe
Justices to Hold In-Person Arguments in the Fall
By Amy Howe
WASHINGTON, DC — September 18, 2021 — The Supreme Court announced on Wednesday, September 8th, that the justices will return to the courtroom for oral arguments this fall. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, the arguments will not be open to the public. Instead, the court will provide live audio of the arguments, as it has done since May 2020. …
By Amy Howe